Lamp unit



July 20, 1937. CVVERBURG ET AL 2,087,745

. LAMP UNIT Filed Sept. 21, 1936 Fig. .l F i g. 2

INVENTORS Cornel is Verbur'g gi I \em Uyterhceven Patented July 20, 1937 I -uNlTED'STATES 2,087,745" r v Cornelia Verburg and Willem 'Uyterlioeven, Eindhoven, Netherlands, asslgnors to General Elece trio Company, a corporation of New York A Application September 21. 1936. Serial no. 101.823 i In Germany September 23,1935 v' f i .3 Claims. (or. 176-122).

particularly those devices having a gaseous atmosphere comprising the vapor of a diflicultly vaporizable material, such as a material the vapor pressure of which is less than 1 mm. at a temperature of 200 e.

The object of the present inven ion is to provide a simple, inexpensive means or supporting the U-shaped lamp container in the heat conservator of lamp units oi the above type. An-

other object of the invention is to provide a supporting means which is easily mounted in the lamp unit during the manufacture thereof. A

further object of the invention is to provide a supporting means for mounting in the lamp unit which obstructs the light emitted by the lamp device and aflects the operation of the discharge lamp as little as possible. Still further objects and advantages attaching to the device and to its use and operation will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thei'ollowing particular description.

The invention attains its objects by using a resilient, helically coiled spring clamped between the legsof the U-shaped container and pressing against the inner surface of the-heat conservator.

When desired, the spring does not press directly against the walls of the envelope; a cylindrical glass ballle interposed between the -coi'itainer and the envelope is used as a support for said spring,

when desired. v 1 h I In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification an; embodiment of the invention is shown, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevational, partly sectional" view-01a gaseous electric discharge lamp unit embodying'the invention, and

. Fig. 2 is a side elevational, partly sectional view of thedevice shown in Fig. 1. Like numbers denote like partsinboththe ilgures.

Referring eto Fig. 1 the gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprises a, U-shape, tubular 3 container I having an electrode I mounted adjacent the end oi each of its legs and having a gaseous 'atnio'spheretherein comprising a starting gas, such'as argon, neon, xenon, or a mixture of such-gases, at a pressure of approximately 1 to 10' mm.- and the vapor of adiflicultly vaporizable material, such' as sodium. The electrodes- 2 areelectronl emitting when heated and consist of a metal filament,'su ch as a tungsten filament, bent doubleand coiled helically, and a coating, of material having high electron emissivity characteristies, such .as barium oxide, on said fila- 0 Eachoi theele'ctrodes' 2 is mounted on a pair of current leads sealed into the external pinch 3 of said container I which are connected outside .the container l to a single current lead 4. Said 15 current-leads I are sealed into the pinch part 5 of the envelope 6. Said container I is thus suspended insaidenvelope 6 by. said leads, The envelope'i is evacuated and is providedwith a base I having twoTseparate electrical contacts 20 container is larger than the distanceB between 30 saidlegs. A helically,; ico'ile'd, resilient spring 9 having a straight a ris 'i'sinserted in said circular openingand presses'againstthe side of said opening. The likewise presses against the in-v ner .wrsee or. the baiiie a to hold the lower part as of said 'contaner" I' flrmly fin fposition centrally in said envelope 8" and awayfrom the baiile 8. ,A small plate ll of heat'in'sulating material, such as mica, is interposed between said springs 9 and I the sides 01' the circular opening A. Preferably 40 the spring 9 is greater in length than the diameter of the bane I and is inserted in its position between the legs of the container I before said container Iis introduced into the envelope 6 during the assembling of the lamp device. When 45 the container I is introduced into the envelope 6 the spring is compressed longitudinally and. is thus caused to-expand radially so that it presses against the curved part of the container I as .well as against the'baflie 8. Since the circular. 50

openingA is'greateriin diameter than the disstructure described aboveis a simple one and the container I is prevented from moving with respect to the envelope 6 during the use and the transportation of the lamp device by a positive acting, resilient support means.

During the operation of the device the adjacent parts of the container legs are at a higher temperature than the remote parts thereof, due to the mutual heating thereof. The mounting of the spring 9 between the legs of the container is, therefore, advantageous since the heat conducted away from said container I by said spring 9 has no effect on the vapor pressure in said container I. Even though, in a particular device, the spring 9 may reduce the temperature of the parts of the container I contiguous therewith below the condensation temperature of the metal vapor the structure described is still advantageous since the light obstructing deposits of condensed material form on the inner sides of the container I rather than the sidesthereof facing the envelope 6. The spring 9, due to its small size and its position between the legs of the envelope 6, intercepts a minimum of light.

While we have shown and described and have pointed out in the annexed claims certain novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its use and operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention, for example, a double-walled vessel having the space between the walls thereof evacuated is used in place of the envelope 6, when desired; the

container I comprises three or four parallel legs and the spring 9 is used in a like manner with like advantages when desired, and when desired, another spring similar to spring 9 is mounted ad- Jacent the ends of the container I in a similar manner.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:--'

1. A lamp unit comprising in combination a heat conservator, a gaseous electric discharge lamp device having a U-shaped container mounted in said heat conservator, and a resilient means interposed between'the legs of said container and pressing against the walls of said conservator to support said container centrally in said conservator and away from the walls thereof.

2. A lamp unit comprising in combination a heat conservator, a gaseous electric discharge lamp device having a U-shaped container mounted in said heat conservator, and a resilient means interposed between the legs of said container at the curved part thereof and pressing against the walls of said conservator to support said container centrally in said conservator and away from the walls thereof.

3. A lamp unit comprising in combination a heat conservator, a gaseous electric discharge lamp device having a U-shaped container mounted in said heat conservator, and a resilient means interposed between and clamped by the legs of said container and pressing against the walls of said conservator to support said container centrally in said conservator and away from the walls thereof.

CORNELIS VERBURG. WILLEM UYTERHOEVEN. 

